Ting Tang, Bernhard Schmid, Meredith C Schuman, Franca J Bongers, Shan Li, Yu Liang, Sofia J van Moorsel, Goddert von Oheimb, Walter Durka, Helge Bruelheide, Keping Ma, Xiaojuan Liu
{"title":"Identifying seed families with high mixture performance in a subtropical forest biodiversity experiment.","authors":"Ting Tang, Bernhard Schmid, Meredith C Schuman, Franca J Bongers, Shan Li, Yu Liang, Sofia J van Moorsel, Goddert von Oheimb, Walter Durka, Helge Bruelheide, Keping Ma, Xiaojuan Liu","doi":"10.1111/nph.70130","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70130","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Afforestation projects using species mixtures are expected to better support ecosystem services than monoculture plantations. While grassland studies have shown natural selection favoring high-performance genotypes in species-rich communities, this has not been explored in forests. We used seed-family identity (known maternity) to represent genetic identity and investigated how this affected the biomass accumulation (i.e. growth) of individual trees (n = 13 435) along a species richness gradient (1-16 species) and over stand age (9 yr) in a forest biodiversity experiment. We found that among the eight species tested, different seed families responded differently to species richness, some of them growing relatively better in low-diversity plots and others in high-diversity plots. Furthermore, within-species growth variation increased with species richness and stand age, while between-species variation decreased with stand age. These results indicate that seed families within species and their reaction norms along the species richness gradient vary considerably and thus can explain a substantial proportion of the overall variation in tree growth. Our findings suggest that the growth and associated ecosystem services of species-rich mixtures in afforestation projects can be optimized by artificially selecting seed families with high mixture performance in biodiversity experiments.</p>","PeriodicalId":48887,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143781717","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lauri Nikkanen, Serhii Vakal, Michal Hubáček, Anita Santana-Sánchez, Grzegorz Konert, Yingying Wang, Marko Boehm, Kirstin Gutekunst, Tiina A Salminen, Yagut Allahverdiyeva
{"title":"Flavodiiron proteins associate pH-dependently with the thylakoid membrane for ferredoxin-1-powered O<sub>2</sub> photoreduction.","authors":"Lauri Nikkanen, Serhii Vakal, Michal Hubáček, Anita Santana-Sánchez, Grzegorz Konert, Yingying Wang, Marko Boehm, Kirstin Gutekunst, Tiina A Salminen, Yagut Allahverdiyeva","doi":"10.1111/nph.70114","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70114","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Flavodiiron proteins (FDPs) catalyse light-dependent reduction of oxygen to water in photosynthetic organisms, creating an electron sink on the acceptor side of Photosystem I that protects the photosynthetic apparatus. However, ambiguity about the electron donor(s) remains, and the molecular mechanisms regulating FDP activity have remained elusive. We employed spectroscopic and gas flux analysis of photosynthetic electron transport, bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays for in vivo protein-protein interactions in the model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, and in silico surface charge modelling. We demonstrated that ferredoxin-1 interacts with Flv1, Flv2, and Flv3, and is the main electron donor to FDP heterooligomers, which are responsible for the photoreduction of oxygen. Moreover, we revealed that FDP heterooligomers dissociate from the thylakoid membrane upon alkalisation of the cytosol, providing the first in vivo evidence of a self-regulatory feedback mechanism allowing dynamic control of FDP activity and maintenance of photosynthetic redox balance in fluctuating environments. Our findings have direct implications for rationally directing electron flux towards desired reactions in biotechnological applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":48887,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143774806","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maria B Mills, Alexander Shenkin, Phil Wilkes, Mathias Disney, Susan Page, Juan Carlos Berrio, Jörg Kaduk, Yadvinder Malhi, Rolando Robert, Reuben Nilus, Terhi Riutta
{"title":"Investigating the accuracy of tropical woody stem CO<sub>2</sub> efflux estimates: scaling methods, and vertical and diel variation.","authors":"Maria B Mills, Alexander Shenkin, Phil Wilkes, Mathias Disney, Susan Page, Juan Carlos Berrio, Jörg Kaduk, Yadvinder Malhi, Rolando Robert, Reuben Nilus, Terhi Riutta","doi":"10.1111/nph.70122","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70122","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Stem CO<sub>2</sub> efflux (EA) significantly contributes to autotrophic and ecosystem respiration in tropical forests, but field methodologies often introduce biases and uncertainty. This study evaluates these biases and their impact on scaling EA at the stand-level. Diel and vertical patterns of EA were investigated, along with the accuracy of estimating stem surface area from allometric equations vs terrestrial light dection and ranging (LiDAR) scanning (TLS) in Maliau Basin Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Diel EA exhibited no uniform pattern due to inter-tree variability, but results suggest measuring EA before 15:00 h. EA was significantly higher on buttresses and above the first major branching point, but vertical variations in EA did not impact stand-level EA when stem surface area was accurately estimated. Allometric equations underestimated total stem surface area by c. 40% compared with TLS, but applying a site-specific correction factor yielded a similar stand-level EA and total stem surface area to TLS. This study provides guidance for measuring EA in the field and suggests that measuring at one time point and one height along the stem can produce accurate results if conducted using the correct time frame and if stem surface area is accurately estimated.</p>","PeriodicalId":48887,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143781718","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploited mutualism: the reciprocal effects of plant parasitic nematodes on the mechanisms underpinning plant-mutualist interactions.","authors":"Krzysztof Wieczorek, Chris A Bell","doi":"10.1111/nph.70125","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70125","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We are quickly gaining insights into the mechanisms and functions of plant-mutualist relationships with the common overarching aim of exploiting them to enhance food security and crop resilience. There is a growing mass of research describing various benefits of plant-mutualistic fungi, including increased nutrition, yields, and tolerance to biotic and abiotic factors. The bulk of this research has been focused on arbuscular mycorrhiza; however, there is now an expansion toward other plant mutualistic fungi. Contrary to the established 'mycorrhizal induced resistance' principle, increasing evidence shows that certain plant pests and pathogens may, in fact, exploit the benefits that mutualists provide their hosts, resulting in enhanced pathogenicity and reduced mutualist-derived benefits. In this Viewpoint, we propose that studying plant mutualistic fungi under controlled artificial conditions indeed provides in-depth knowledge but may mislead long-term applications as it does not accurately reflect multi-symbiont scenarios that occur in natura. We summarize the reciprocal impacts of plant pests, such as plant parasitic nematodes, on plant-fungal mutualisms and highlight how glasshouse experiments often yield contradictory results. We emphasize the need for collaborative efforts to increase the granularity of experimental systems, better reflecting natural environments to gain holistic insights into mutualist functions before applying them in sustainable crop protection strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":48887,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143774805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Brajesh K Singh, Yu-Rong Liu, Tadeo Sáez-Sandino, Claudia Coleine, Miriam Muñoz-Rojas, Felipe Bastida, Pankaj Trivedi
{"title":"Integrating ecological and evolutionary frameworks for SynCom success.","authors":"Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Brajesh K Singh, Yu-Rong Liu, Tadeo Sáez-Sandino, Claudia Coleine, Miriam Muñoz-Rojas, Felipe Bastida, Pankaj Trivedi","doi":"10.1111/nph.70112","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70112","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Use of synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) is a promising approach that harnesses nature-based solutions to support soil fertility and food security, mitigate climate change impacts, and restore terrestrial ecosystems. Several microbial products are in the market, and many others are at different stages of development and commercialization. Yet, we are still far from being able to fully harness the potential and successful applications of such biotechnological tools. The limited field efficiency and efficacy of SynComs have significantly constrained commercial opportunities, resulting in market growth falling below expectations. To overcome these challenges and manage expectations, it is critical to address current limitations, failures, and potential environmental consequences of SynComs. In this Viewpoint, we explore how using multiple eco-evolutionary theories can inform SynCom design and success. We further discuss the current status of SynComs and identify the next steps needed to develop and deploy the next-generation tools to boost their ability to support multiple ecosystem services, including food security and environmental sustainability.</p>","PeriodicalId":48887,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143774807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Janisse Deluigi, Christoph Bachofen, Margaux Didion-Gency, Jonas Gisler, Eugénie Mas, Laura Mekarni, Alvaro Poretti, Marcus Schaub, Yann Vitasse, Charlotte Grossiord
{"title":"Prolonged warming and drought reduce canopy-level net carbon uptake in beech and oak saplings despite photosynthetic and respiratory acclimation.","authors":"Janisse Deluigi, Christoph Bachofen, Margaux Didion-Gency, Jonas Gisler, Eugénie Mas, Laura Mekarni, Alvaro Poretti, Marcus Schaub, Yann Vitasse, Charlotte Grossiord","doi":"10.1111/nph.70111","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70111","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tree net carbon (C) uptake may decrease under global warming, as higher temperatures constrain photosynthesis while simultaneously increasing respiration. Thermal acclimation might mitigate this negative effect, but its capacity to do so under concurrent soil drought remains uncertain. Using a 5-yr open-top chamber experiment, we determined acclimation of leaf-level photosynthesis (thermal optimum T<sub>opt</sub> and rate A<sub>opt</sub>) and respiration (rate at 25°C R<sub>25</sub> and thermal sensitivity Q<sub>10</sub>) to chronic +5°C warming, soil drought, and their combination in beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and oak (Quercus pubescens Willd.) saplings. Process-based modeling was used to evaluate acclimation impacts on canopy-level net C uptake (A<sub>tot</sub>). Prolonged warming increased T<sub>opt</sub> by 3.03-2.66°C, but only by 1.58-0.31°C when combined with soil drought, and slightly reduced R<sub>25</sub> and Q<sub>10</sub>. By contrast, drought reduced T<sub>opt</sub> (-1.93°C in oak), A<sub>opt</sub> (c. 50%), and slightly reduced R<sub>25</sub> and Q<sub>10</sub> (in beech). Mainly because of reduced leaf area, A<sub>tot</sub> decreased by 47-84% with warming (in beech) and drought, but without additive effects when combined. Our results suggest that, despite photosynthetic and respiratory acclimation to warming and soil drought, canopy-level net C uptake will decline in a persistently hotter and drier climate, primarily due to the prevalent impact of leaf area reduction.</p>","PeriodicalId":48887,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143774809","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alessandro Manzotti, Raphaël Monteil, Soizic Cheminant Navarro, Dany Croteau, Lucie Charreton, Antoine Hoguin, Nils Fabian Strumpen, Denis Jallet, Fayza Daboussi, Peter G Kroth, François-Yves Bouget, Marianne Jaubert, Benjamin Bailleul, Jean-Pierre Bouly, Angela Falciatore
{"title":"Circadian regulation of key physiological processes by the RITMO1 clock protein in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum.","authors":"Alessandro Manzotti, Raphaël Monteil, Soizic Cheminant Navarro, Dany Croteau, Lucie Charreton, Antoine Hoguin, Nils Fabian Strumpen, Denis Jallet, Fayza Daboussi, Peter G Kroth, François-Yves Bouget, Marianne Jaubert, Benjamin Bailleul, Jean-Pierre Bouly, Angela Falciatore","doi":"10.1111/nph.70099","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70099","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Phasing biological and physiological processes to periodic light-dark cycles is crucial for the life of most organisms. Marine diatoms, as many phytoplanktonic species, exhibit biological rhythms, yet their molecular timekeepers remain largely uncharacterized. Recently, the bHLH-PAS protein RITMO1 has been proposed to act as a regulator of diatom circadian rhythms. In this study, we first determined the physiological conditions to monitor circadian clock activity and its perturbation in the diatom model species Phaeodactylum tricornutum by using cell fluorescence as a circadian output. Employing ectopic overexpression, targeted gene mutagenesis, and functional complementation, we then investigated the role of RITMO1 in various circadian processes. Our data reveal that RITMO1 significantly influences the P. tricornutum circadian rhythms not only of cellular fluorescence, but also of photosynthesis and of the expression of clock-controlled genes, including transcription factors and putative clock input/output components. RITMO1 effects on rhythmicity are unambiguously detectable under free-running conditions. By uncovering the complex regulation of biological rhythms in P. tricornutum, these findings advance our understanding of the endogenous factors controlling diatom physiological responses to environmental changes. They also offer initial insights into the mechanistic principles of oscillator functions in a major group of phytoplankton, which remain largely unexplored in chronobiology.</p>","PeriodicalId":48887,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143765456","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Phosphorylation of the strawberry MADS-box CMB1 regulates ripening via the catabolism of abscisic acid.","authors":"Haoran Jia, Yanna Shi, Zhengrong Dai, Yunfan Sun, Xiu Shu, Baijun Li, Rongrong Wu, Shouzheng Lv, Jiahan Shou, Xiaofang Yang, Guihua Jiang, Yuchao Zhang, Andrew C Allan, Kunsong Chen","doi":"10.1111/nph.70065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70065","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Research on the ripening of fleshy fruits has relied on techniques that measure transcriptional changes. How ripening is linked to posttranslational modifications such as protein phosphorylation remains less studied. Here, we characterize the MADS-box SEPALLATA 4 (SEP4) subfamily transcription factor FaCMB1, a key negative regulator controlling strawberry ripening, whose transcript and protein abundance decrease progressively with fruit development and are repressed by abscisic acid (ABA). Transient RNAi or overexpression of FaCMB1 significantly altered the fruit ripening process and affected the content of endogenous ABA and ripening-related quality. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis suggested that manipulation of FaCMB1 expression levels affected the transcription of FaASR (ABA-, stress-, ripening-induced), while FaCMB1 can repress the gene expression of FaASR by directly binding to its promoter. Furthermore, FaASR inhibited the transcriptional activity of FaCYP707A4, a key ABA 8'-hydroxylase enzyme involved in ABA catabolism. We show that FaCMB1 can be phosphorylated by the kinase FaSTPK, and Phos-tag assays indicated that the phosphorylation level of FaCMB1 increases during fruit ripening. This phosphorylation of FaCMB1 affects the binding ability of FaCMB1 to the FaASR promoter and alleviates its transcriptional repression. In conclusion, we elucidated a feedback regulatory path involving FaCMB1-FaASR-FaCYP707A4-ABA. During the fruit ripening process, an increase in ABA content led to a decrease in FaCMB1 transcript and protein levels, which, combined with increased phosphorylation levels, collectively impaired the transcriptional repression of FaASR by FaCMB1. Meanwhile, the increased transcriptional level of FaASR further repressed the expression level of FaCYP707A4, leading to ABA accumulation and fruit ripening.</p>","PeriodicalId":48887,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143765493","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alicia Montesinos-Navarro, Sarah Collins, Cristina Dumitru, Miguel Verdú
{"title":"Phylogenetic relatedness predicts plant-plant nitrogen transfer better than the duration of water scarcity periods.","authors":"Alicia Montesinos-Navarro, Sarah Collins, Cristina Dumitru, Miguel Verdú","doi":"10.1111/nph.70116","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70116","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Intermittent water availability is a significant stress factor for plants, particularly in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. Plant nutrient demands often do not align with precipitation pulses that trigger nutrient mobilization and availability, but biotic interactions like plant facilitation (e.g. through nitrogen transfer among distant relatives) and mycorrhizal symbiosis may mitigate this asynchrony, enabling nutrient access despite temporal disparities. We conducted a field experiment with 324 plant individuals to test two hypotheses: (1) greater mycorrhizal fungi abundance increases the amount of <sup>15</sup>N transferred between plants, particularly under conditions of fluctuating water availability, and (2) the amount of <sup>15</sup>N transferred is affected by the phylogenetic relatedness between donor and receiver plants. We show that <sup>15</sup>N transfer is prevalent in the studied semi-arid communities, occurring between all species pairs in 68% of the trials. Interestingly, we observed an increase in <sup>15</sup>N transfer between distantly related species, and this phylogenetic pattern remained consistent across fungicide and water regime treatments, which did not affect <sup>15</sup>N transfer. Elucidating the drivers of N transfer between plants under different environmental conditions can improve our predictions on how plant communities will respond to future climate challenges, especially prolonged droughts in Mediterranean ecosystems.</p>","PeriodicalId":48887,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143765495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}